Polishing and finishing tool



April 21, 1942. J, B; PHIPPS POLISHING AND FINISHING TQOL 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 18, 1940 INVENTOR.

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April 21, 1942. J. B. PHIPPS POLISHING AND FINISHING TOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 18, 1940 INVENTOR.

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Patented Apr. 21, 1942 txaminer POLISHING AND FINISHING TOOL Jesse B. Phipps, Jefierson City, Mo., assignor of one-fourth to Beecher Coleman, Jefferson City,

Application December 18, 1940, Serial No. 370,679

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in polishing tools or machines for polishing and smoothing finished surfaces of wood or metal, such as are used in automobile or furniture factories, car and bus works or the like, as well as in repair shops handling such work.

The main object of the invention is to provide a tool for smoothing and polishing finished wood or metal surfaces of any kind and as above referred to, including wet-sanding and drysanding the same, and wherein sand paper and water play an important part,

A further object of the invention is to provide a polishing tool including a housing clcsed at top and sides, open at bottom, and having rollers journaled in the ends thereof with a rubber or other flexible belt mounted over the rollers, gear connections between the rollers for rotating them in the same direction, a belt of sand paper or the like mounted over the said flexible or rubber belt to travel therewith, a valve controlled air pipe leading into the housing for actuating an air motor in the housing for operating the rollers and belts, and a valve controlled water pipe leading into the housing for wetting the sand paper belt, and for washing off any particles of foreign matter from the surface of the work.

With the stated objects in view, together with such further objects and advantages as may appear from the specification, a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of the tool.

Figure 2 is a top plan view with the cover raised.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 a vertical transverse section on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional detail of the air motor showing the structure thereof.

Figure 6 is a detail of the attachment for operating the machine through aflexible shaft instead of by an attached air motor.

The finishing and polishing tool mav he mad of any suitable size and dimensions for its purpose, and of any suitable materials.

As here shown the tool includes an bl n frame or chassis 5. approximately seven inches long, four and one half inches wide and two or three inches high. This chassis includes spaced, oblong side plates 6 and 6a held rigidly together by a number of cross-rods I, and one of the plates as Ba being wider than the other. A pair of rollers 8 are rigidly mounted on shafts 9, the ends thereof being extended. The ends of the rollers are slightly flanged as shown at to. The rollers 8 are of such diameter as to extend slightly below the lower edge of the side-plates 6, 6a. Spur gears ll of less diameter than the rollers are rigidly mounted on the extended ends of the shafts 9, and the extremities of these shafts are then journaled as shown at l2, in or through the ends of the side plates 6, 6a in spaced and parallel relation, Conventional ball bearings (not shown) may be set in the plates to engage the extremities of the shafts, if desired.

A cylindrical air motor housing i3 is extended between the side plates 6, medially between the rollers 8, the same being flanged at its ends, as at M, and being anchored in place by crossbraces l5 passed through the flanges l4, through the side plates 6, 6a, and sealed at their extremities in the plates, as indicated at l6. An air motor I! is mounted within the housing l3, same comprising a shaft l8 with spaced disks l9 rigidly mounted thereon, and air or turbine blades 20 operatively extended and anchored at their ends between the disks as indicated at 2|. These blades are preferably arranged in a stepped relation as shown. The ends of the shaft i8 are journaled out through the ends of the housing l3 as at 22, with ball bearings (not shown) thereat, if desired, and spur gears 23 are rigidly mounted on the ends of the shaft in alignment with the gears ll of the rollers B.

The extremities of the shaft iii a e journaled in the plates 6, Go, as indicated at 24.

Idle gear shafts 25 are extended betwen the plates 6, 6a at each side of the motor h using I3 and between that housing and the ad acent rollers 8. The extremities of the shafts 25 are journaled through the plates 6, 6!: as at 26. with or without ball bearings as desired. and idle gears 2! are rigidly anchored on the sha t ends inside the plates 6, and placed in mesh at each side with 'the gears II and 23. Bv t s arrangement, as the motor I! and gears 23 revolve, the gears II and rollers 8 all rotate or revolve in one direction. The inner ears 23 and 21 are preferably smaller than the uter gears l I, but in any event they are nlflpfirtinn d for effecting a perfect intermeshing. An air inlet pipe 28 is secured at 29 to the outer s de of the wider or higher side plate Ba, and passes through this plate at 30, having its inner end closed and secured at 3| along the intake side of the motor housing I3. Inlet ports 32 are cut through the contiguous walls of the pipe and housing, leading into the several chambers of the motor as formed by the disks l9, and whereby the inrushing air under presure is operatively directed against the vanes or blades 20 for turning the motor 11. A conventional valve 33 controls the flow of air through the pipe 28. The outer end of the pipe 28 is designed to be connected to an air hose (not shown) in any conventional manner.

An air exhaust pipe 34 is secured at 35 along the opposite or discharge side of the housing l3, the inner end of the pipe being closed, and the outer open end disposed to discharge air laterally out at the opposite side of the tool. Outlet ports 36 similar to the inlet ports 32 are formed through the contiguous walls of the pipe 34 and housing I3, for discharging air from the motor.

An endless tread or friction belt 31 of cushion rubber, rubber-tape or other suitable material, is mounted over the rollers 8 within the flanges l0, and the surfaces of these rollers may also be rubberized or otherwise treated to facilitate their frictional gripping of the rollers. The beltj] is slightly thicker than the width of the roller flanges II! to guard the work from being scratched or'ma'rred thereby. Belts of sand-paper 38 are provided of any required fineness, for mounting over the tread belt 31. The sand-paper belts are preferably endless as shown, but might be parted and their ends connected over the belt 31 by gluing or the like.

A cover plate 40 is hinged at one side, as shown at 4|, to the wider side-plate 6a, the ends and opposite side thereof being turned down as at 42, and latches 43 are mounted on the flanged side opposite the hinges, for engaging studs 44 seated on the outer face of the adjacent side plate 6, for releasably holding the cover plate down or closed. A hand grip or loop 45 is rigidly mounted at the forward end of the cover plate, and an elastic waist band 46 at the rear end.

A water pipe 41 is secured at 48 to the under, hinged side of the cover plate, and has its inner end turned angularly across the forward end of the cover plate and perforated, to form sprinkler holes 49, this end of the pipe being closed. A conventional connection or hose coupling 50 is mounted at the outer end of the pipe 41, for connecting to a hose or water line (not shown).

Transversely aligned slots are formed vertically in the upper margin of the wider side plate 6a and in the opposite down turned flange 42 of the cover plate, and a press or tension bar or rod 52 is seated at its ends in these slots and thus arranged for vertical adjustment. This tension bar is passed underneath the upper run or extension of the tread or friction belt 31. Apcrtured and vertically spaced tabs 53 are anchored to and e xtended from the hinge plate Ba and opposite flange 42 of the cover plate, at the upper ends of the slots 5|. The extended ends of the rod 52 are threaded as at 54 and turned perpendicularly upward. and are passed freely through these apertured tabs 53. Knurled adjustment nuts 55 are placed between the tabs and turned upon the upturned threaded ends 54 as same are passed up through the tabs. Thus by merely rotating these nuts one way or the other, the belt 31 may be raised and tightened or may be lowered and loosened, as desired.

In use the air hose as commonly employed in large plants and factories is connected to the airpipe 28, and similarly the water line is connected to the pipe 41. The tool is put in use by turning on the air and water as desired, and passing the tool to and fro over the work. The air motor causes the tread belt 31 and sand paper belt 38 to rotate over the work, smoothing and finishing the surface thereof as desired. Thus the tool may be used for either dry or wet sanding. The water seals the two belts together in use, and if they work loose they may be readily tightened by turnturning the nuts 55 as pointed out. To install a new sand-paper belt, cover 40 is raised, the old belt is torn out, the tension rod 52 is removed through the slots 5|, a new belt of sand paper is passed over the rollers 8, the rod 52 replaced and the cover closed again.

In shops where there is no air pressure line for operating the air-motor of the tool, the air motor and housing may be removed and replaced by the shaft l8a, having the gears 23a at its ends, adapted to engage the gears H of the rollers 8, and a bevel gear 60 seated on one extremity outwardly of the frame or housing. A stub-shaft 6| is journaled through tabs 62 seated on the outer side of the frame or housing, and has a bevel gear 63 at its lower end, in mesh with the gear 60. The upper end of the stub shaft 6| is squared as at 64 or otherwise formed for engaging the end of a flexible shaft (not shown) for operating the machine. Such flexible shaft may of course be operated by an electrical motor or any other agency.

While I have here shown and described a specific embodiment of the invention and certain structural features thereof, the same may be changed or modified within the scope of the claims. For instance an anti-friction sleeve or roller (not shown) may be freely mounted on the tension bar 52, in accordance with conventional practice.

I claim:

1. In a power driven wet-sanding machine comprising a casing having a hinged top and side walls, one wall being wider than the opposite parallel wall and carrying a hinge for said hinged top, said top having a depending flange of a length equal to the difference between the aforesaid side walls, spray means mounted in said top, rollers journalled in parallel relation in the said side walls and extending below the bottom edges of the side walls, a tread belt mounted over the rollers, an abrasive belt mounted over and around the tread belt, power driven means to rotate said rollers and move said abrasive belt around beneath the spray means during the abrading operation and an adjustable tension regulating bar having an end mounted in said depending flange of the hinged top and an end mounted in said wider side wall extending transverse and beneath the tread belt.

2. In a power driven wet-sanding machine comprising a casing having a hinged top and side walls, one wall being wider than the opposite parallel wall and carrying a hinge for said hinged top, said top having a depending flange of a length equal to the difference between the aforesaid side walls, spray means mounted in said top, rollers journalled in parallel relation in the said side walls and extending below the bottom edges of the side walls a tread belt mounted over the rollers, an abrasive belt mounted over and around the tread belt, speed reduction gearing adapted to positively rotate each of said rollers, power driven means to rotate said rollers and move said abrasive belt around beneath the spray means during the abrading operation and an adjustable tension regulating bar having an end mounted in said depending flange of the hinged top and an end mounted in said wider side wall extending transverse and beneath the tread belt.

3, In a power driven sanding machine, in combination with a suitable washing spray, comprising a frame having a top and side walls, shafts journalled at their ends in the side walls of the frame, rollers rigidly mounted on the shafts, said rollers being flanged at their ends and projecting below the side wall edges, gears anchored on the ends of the roller shafts inside the frame, said gears being smaller than the rollers a power operated means including a shaft journalled at its ends in the side walls of the frame intermediate the rollers, a gear on each end of the said last named intermediate shaft inside the frame, a pair of idling gears mounted between each roller gear adapted to rotate the Examiner rollers in one direction, power control means outside the frame in connection with said power operated means adapted to transmit power to said power operated means inside the frame.

4. The device as described in claim 2, in which the said power operated means comprises a turbine having a plurality of staggered sets of rotor vanes.

5. The device as described in claim 2, in which the said power operated means comprises the said intermediate shaft, said intermediate shaft extending through and beyond a side wall of the frame and having a bevel gear anchored thereon, a shaft outside said side wall of the frame substantially parallel thereto carrying a bevel gear complementary to said gear on the intermediate shaft extension adapted to be driven by an outside source of power.

JESSE B. PHIPPS. 

